Optical data transmission has been finding uses with a sharp increase in the amount of communication in recent years. The optical data transmission is, however, used chiefly for data transmission of infrastructure backbone systems, and data transmission between data servers, which transmit a large amount of data, but has yet to gain widespread use among consumers. Class 2 or class 3 for high output lasers in the safety standard (JIS C6802) for laser beams is therefore applied under the control of laser managers. The structures of devices prioritize only reliable connections to optical cables, and are difficult for general users to easily use.
Meanwhile, users themselves can connect devices with no special instruments or techniques in electrical data transmission, which has already been common for connections of consumer devices. Moreover, in view of easy use for users, it is desirable to allow connectors to be inserted with either side facing up or down when connecting cables to devices.
For example, Patent Literature 1 below describes a technique related to an optical connector that introduces light to an optical transmission path having an optical axis direction different from the optical axis direction from a light output terminal, and introduces the light to a light input terminal having an optical axis direction different from that of the optical transmission path.
Further, Patent Literature 2 below describes the configuration of an optical connector that has two optical connection faces: an optical connection face that is connected in a straight line from an optical transmission path of an optical cable; and the other optical connection face that is vertical to the optical transmission path.
Further, Patent Literature 3 below describes a configuration in which an optical connection is made on two faces relative to optical connectors, but an optical transmitting device and an optical receiving device have the directions of the optical connectors aligned.